Whole Foods Destin 1% Community Giving Day - April 20th

Who/What: Whole Foods Market, the nation’s leading natural and organic food retailer, is proud to debut their store in Destin on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 – deep in the heart of the Florida panhandle. The 35,520-square-foot store will be located at 4402 Legendary Drive, just minutes away from the Sunshine State’s breathtaking Emerald Coast.

Like every Whole Foods Market throughout the state, Florida’s 26th store will offer Destin’s beautiful seaside community the ultimate food, beverage and retail experience that is sure to delight. Destin gems will include:

The Lucky Catch Bar and Bites, a lively Southern cuisine bar serving up the freshest catch from the sea, such as Shrimp and Oyster Po’ Boys, and Fried Fish and Shrimp Platters, with decadent sides like Black Truffle Mac & Cheese.

The Destin Dog, a station featuring gourmet takes on the classic street food – the hot dog – with options including the Destin Dog – served on a fluffy Bakehouse bun – as well as worldly takes with the Cuban “Media Noche” Dog with all the fixin’s of cilantro lime pork, pickles and swiss cheese; the Delhi “Tandoori” Dog with curry tartar sauce and kachumber relish; and the Veggie “Dogma” Dog, a vegan yet equally delicious option with sauerkraut and stone ground mustard.

The Growler Station, where guests can fill, drink & repeat! Beer aficionados will be able to pour and take home their favorite hops, available in 32 oz. and 64 oz. sizes.

To celebrate the halfway point of the week, Wednesdays will be reserved for $5 flights of beer or wine, as well as unique, refreshing libations such as Rancho La Gloria Handcrafted Ready-to-Drink Margaritas and The Original Five’s Reserve Marula Fruit Cream Liqueur.

Whole Foods Market also supports local farmers, producers and artisans by buying from independent producers near the community. Local suppliers will also contribute products to the store, including:

Fresh seafood from the Destin-based Harbor Docks Seafood Market, a local source for the freshest fare for more than 35 years.

All-natural, Step 4-rated Florida beef from Adams Ranch, a 4th generation cattle producing ranch in Fort Pierce, providing beef that is corn-fed and raised with no antibiotics, no added growth hormones and no animal by-products in their feed.

Get a sweet tooth fix from The Honey Hutch, the beloved, local honey supplier. Owner Amy Wright will also be hosting an in-store demo with an observation hive for people of all ages to enjoy.

Whole Foods Market Destin will be the first retailer to sell 60% Post Consumer, 100% Recyclable coolers, which will be available for only $12.99 (grand opening special for $9.99).

Instead of a traditional ribbon-cutting, America’s healthiest grocery store will celebrate Destin’s grand opening with a Bread Breaking Ceremony at 8:45 AM, with the help of team members, Destin’s mayor, city officials and the community. From 7:30am-10:30am, early birds can get their caffeine fix from the Allegro FLXBUS, as well as celebrate the city’s newest addition alongside local DJ “Rock The House”, voted best DJ on the Emerald Coast for the last three years. The first 500 customers in line on opening day will also receive mystery gift cards, valued at $5, $10, $20 or $50, with one card valued at $500.

“Up until now, Destin’s closest accessibility to Whole Foods Market was over two hours away in Tallahassee,” said Ginger Lovett, Whole Foods Market Destin Store Team Leader. “The area has been craving a Whole Foods Market for years and we’re so happy to establish a presence in the community. Now, guests can finally call Whole Foods Market their local grocery store of choice for all their natural and organic essentials.”

In keeping with Whole Foods Market’s mission to give back to local communities, Destin will also participate in One Percent Days, where stores give back at least one percent of a day’s net sales to local educational or nonprofit organizations. This April, the store is proud to support organizations deep-rooted in philanthropic and environmental missions. The team will celebrate with five charities each receiving 1 percent. Beneficiaries include Food for Thought Outreach, Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, Lighthouse Family Retreat and Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County.

The fun continues after the grand opening, with an ongoing lineup of local vendor demos, bar events and even celebrity sightings. A number of events aimed to engage Destinites will include a visit from celebrity wine maker, Kathie Lee Gifford. On Saturday, April 30 from 10am-noon, Gifford will be in the store for a meet and greet and bottle signing of her wine, GIFFT. No registration is necessary to attend this event; guests can just stop by the wine department to meet the celebrated day-time TV star.

Guests can look forward to a different promotion every day of the week throughout the store. For example, The Lucky Catch Bar and Bites bar will offer a daily rotating assortment of bites at unbeatable prices, including $7 personal pizzas with any two toppings (Mondays), $8 Po’ Boys (Tuesdays), $6 Black Truffle Mac & Cheese (Wednesdays), $5 Hot Dogs (Thursdays), and 75¢ Oysters (Sundays). Those craving a more interactive experience can participate in local vendor demos, including a Honey Hutch activation throughout the month, ice cream delights from Southern Craft Creamery and granola by Veronica’s Health Crunch.

When/Where: Whole Foods Market – Destin

4402 Legendary Drive

Destin, FL 32541

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Bread Breaking Ceremony to begin at 8:45 AM

Store opens at 9 AM

WHY: Values Matter at Whole Foods Market

For over 35 years, Core Values have propelled Whole Foods Market’s unique culture, growth and success. Whole Foods Market prides itself on selling the highest quality natural and organic products available; aims to satisfy, delight, and nourish customers; and serves and support local and global communities. The company’s unwavering Quality Standards are a top priority when it comes to serving the community. Only premium goods make it on the shelf, and only after each and every product is carefully evaluated. Whole Foods Market believes that food is in its purest state when it is void of artificial flavorings, sweeteners, colorings and preservatives, and to do that, the team scours the globe to find the best tasting and most nutritious food available.

Whole Foods Market has the highest quality standards for seafood in the business, offering guests the freshest, premium seafood from the best sources locally and around the world. All seafood adheres to their strict Quality Standards, the highest in the industry, and Whole Foods Market is the only national retailer with full traceability from fishery or farm to store.

Animal Welfare Rating System

This 5-Step™ rating system provides clear information that helps shoppers make informed buying decisions with the help of color-coded signs and stickers that indicate the Step rating, providing transparency at the meat counter by giving customers a visual explanation of how the animals are raised for the meat they are buying. All of the beef, pork, chicken and turkey sold in Whole Foods Market’s fresh meat cases come from farms that have achieved certification to the 5-Step program. Also, all meat and poultry products offered come from animals that were raised without added hormones, animal by-product in their feed or antibiotics.